Opposites Attract
by Vulpes-Macrotis
Summary: Shadow x Vio and Blue x Red primarily with some Green x Zelda. After their journey, the five links return home and start their own lives. Shadow is desperately seeking Vio's affection and won't give up until he has it, and Blue and Red are falling for each other without realizing it.
1. Chapter 1

**So, let me be clear when I say this whole story is an experiment. I don't really have a particular plot set out, and this is more to get me back into the whole fan fiction-writing mood since I took a long break. Oh, and it might be a bit OOC because it's literally 12: 58 AM here. But that's okay! Because this is an experiment. FOR SCIENCE.**

* * *

"Vio your stalker is creepy as fuck. Can't you put him on a leash or something?" Blue glanced over his shoulder at the shadow wandering down the dirt road. He had kept his distance for the entire trip since meeting up with Vio at the last town. Honestly, the purple link could not have cared less if Shadow stayed or left. He had promised himself not to get any emotional attachments to Shadow before he even put his plan into action, and… mostly… stuck with that as he went through with it.

"How much longer until we reach the next town Green?" Vio sometimes liked to pretend Blue didn't exist. It could be fun at times.

"Yeah yeah yeah you can ignore me now but when he's in your pants you'll wish we had this conversation." Blue smirked. He didn't really notice when Vio rolled his eyes but Red and Green snickered quietly to themselves.

"You're disgusting Blue."

"It's not far. We should be there by tomorrow." Green replied, ignoring both Vio and Blue. "If we don't dawdle that is." He shot a playful glance at Red who was watching a bizarre-looking bird at the side of the road with a bright smile. Vio and Green turned to Blue who was to preoccupied with watching Red to notice. For once he was being quiet, and a pink blush tinted his cheeks. Anyone who ever saw the two of them together knew that Red was the chink in Blue's seemingly thick armor. Even if the two didn't notice, it was obvious to everyone around and that just made it more amusing.

"What do you think we'll do after we get back home?" Red snapped out of his trance and turned to the other three, getting a soft growl from Blue and a shrug from Green. None of them had really thought about it before. They had been to focused on the immediate threat. Heck, they hadn't even decided whether or not to stay as they were. Would they continue as four, or would they go back to being one? It wasn't really the idea of merging back together that scared them. It was disappearing forever. Being unable to control the fate that they were holding in their hands. What _would _happen if they merged? Would they forget all of their individual thoughts? Would they forget every emotion they ever felt as separate beings? The idea of loosing himself and all he was at the time sent a shiver down Vio's spine. It was almost the equivalent of… dying. He could tell by looking around at the others that they were thinking the same. And without even sharing a word, they had come to share one conclusion. They would lead their own lives. And how they would do it was the next question that required an answer.

"We could save up for a home," came Vio's simple response. "Surely with all that we have collected from our journey we could get _something_."

"Of course! I can't imagine living anywhere but with the three of you!" Red skipped over to Blue, pulling him into an affectionate hug. The boy scowled but made no effort to move him.

"Correction, Red, I think we might have someone else joining us." After listening to Green's comment, the group took a moment to let the realization that they would probably end up sharing a living space with someone they weren't particularly fond with settle in. All except Vio, who really didn't care and thought nothing of it. Well, that wasn't completely true. Somewhere deep inside Vio was happy that Shadow was staying. Even though he had promised himself not to get emotionally attached, those hours in the tower alone had taken their toll. He liked to think that a weak… flimsy… easily broken, friendship had formed between them.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Blue decided to pipe up and say something useful for once. "It's… it's getting kind of late should we set up camp?" He watched as Red yawned, almost on cue, to what he had said.

"That's probably a good idea." Green nodded. "We probably waited to long anyway." He bit his lip as he finally noticed how low the sun was in the sky. That wasn't good. This part of the forest was home to many nocturnal predators, and he had been trying to remember to set up camp earlier than usual to avoid getting firewood in the dark. "Okay. Red, you go get Shadow."

"Eep! Why me?!" Red straightened up as he heard his name.

No one really bothered to answer, they just swerved off the path and into the woods where they would find a good place to set up. Red sighed and slowly made his way over to Shadow, dragging his feet as he did.

* * *

The fire crackled as Vio prodded the logs with a long stick. Red and Blue seemed to have already gone to bed, and Green was trying to figure out what their plans were upon reaching the next town. This left Vio and Shadow by the fire. Alone. It was strangely awkward. A feeling that the purple link felt responsible for. His betrayal had possibly destroyed any hope of being good friends with Shadow now. Not the wanted to be friends with him. Or something like that.

"I missed you." Shadow's voice was hoarse when he first began talking, a side effect of being completely silent for a day or two. Vio didn't respond right away. It was such an odd comment for Shadow to make. As if realizing that was what Vio was thinking the shadow quickly added, "I mean, when you're not around to nag at me for being a total slob and scolding me for being to loud it gets kinda lonely." That was more like him.

"Well I did what I felt needed to be done." Vio insisted, keeping his own voice down in case Green was eavesdropping.

"I thought we had something good going." Shadow hissed. The hurt in his voice took the other boy by surprise. He certainly didn't imagine that he had hurt Shadow's feelings. He felt guilty. He had been to caught up in thinking about himself, and setting up his own barriers, that he had found it hard to imagine his dark counterpart even owning emotions. How selfish he had been…

"…" Vio searched for something to say, hoping that the other boy would continue rather than wait for a response.

And his wishes were granted. "I understand you did it for the group but… it still hurts man." Shadow sighed and lowered his head.

"Look…" Vio paused a moment… "That's all in the past and it would be rather childish of us to reopen old wounds. And I don't about you, being as immature as you are, but I would like to try and patch things up."

"Spoken like a true bookworm." Shadow responded with his signature smirk. "Sounds good to me, babe." He threw one arm over Vio's shoulder.

_'Damn… he bounced back quickly. And did he just call me babe?!' _ Vio thought. He pushed Shadow's arm off, receiving a disappointed whine in return.

"Come on Vio, lighten up! You're the one who said you wanted to mend our _relationship_." Vio wanted to cringe, but instead a pink blush formed on his cheeks at the way he had stressed the word 'relationship'. That only made Shadow laugh. "Come on, admit you're flattered and you love me." And with that, Shadow received a wicked bruise-inducing punch to the shoulder and a calm 'good night'.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, in a review someone said that they would like to see me continue this. That was the plan, but I was having trouble getting motivated. That one review, and the other two I got, were all the motivation I needed. I'm so happy that people, even if it's just a few, are enjoying my little experiment. Oh and... it seems that all this chapter and the previous chapter have been just people sleeping. But that will change soon! I thought up a sort of... mini plot I guess? I have some bigger events written down and I'll probably be adding a lot more Red x Blue later on. Alsomostofthiswaswrittenreallyearlyaswell. ItstheonlytimeIfeellikewritinghonestly.**

* * *

"Vio…" Red shook his comrade awake. "Vio, Blue told me there are monsters in the forest that are out to get me. Then he hit me on the head…" Tears formed in the short boy's eyes, which he quickly wiped away. "Can I sleep next to you? I'm scared." Vio let out a quiet sigh then sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Sure. Just don't mess with my stuff." Vio yawned, covering his mouth with one hand. He watched as Red happily grabbed a large pile of blankets and moved them next him, plopping them down in a tangled mess and curling up inside them. Vio was so tired that it felt as if he didn't have the brainpower to question Red's actions. But even as he rested his head back on the ground, he had that irritating feeling that he would be unable to get back to sleep. Ugh, why did Red have to be such a baby? Vio sat back up, looking around their barren campsite and all three of the sleeping bodies. Blue was up for his watch, but Vio would have preferred not to talk to him. He was a bit more than grumpy when he was tired. Instead, he waited until he was sure Red was asleep before getting up and stretching his arms above his head. From what he could see through the tree branches, the sky was already beginning to take on a pinkish color where the sun would be rising.

"Morning babe." Shadow materialized in front of Vio, a wide smirk painted onto his lips.

"Don't call me that." The other boy rolled his eyes. "Please," he added when he remembered he was trying to "patch" their "relationship".

"Would you rather I call you honey buns…. honey buns?" Shadow smirked.

"No babe is fine."

"Hahaha! You're so fun to tease Vio."

"Keep your voice down there are people trying to sleep for the goddesses' sake."

"Oh there you go again, scolding me for being loud." Shadow booped Vio's nose, earning a quiet huff in response. "Will you ever stop acting like my Mom?"

"I'll stop acting like your Mom when you grow up," came Vio's tired response. "What are you doing up this early anyway?"

He laughed quietly. "I'm a shadow. My day is your night. That's one reason I lag behind. You guys walk way to fast for the middle of the night." He tucked a piece of golden hair behind Vio's ear.

"Come on you two lovebirds. Break it up. As much as I love to watch your disturbing yet captivating mating ritual, it's time to wake the others up." Blue got up from where he was sitting on the opposite side of the camp. "Green informed me that if we were to get to the next town before we ran out of supplies we'd have to get a head start."

"But Red just got to sleep, can't we let him rest a little longer?" Vio asked.

"No. He has responsibilities with camp cleanup too." Blue retorted. "It wouldn't be fair for the rest of us."

"I can do his share." Shadow offered with a smile. Vio admired that, but he would never say it.

"Sure, sure. But steal any of our stuff and I'll beat you within an inch of your life." Blue scowled. Shadow simply smiled at the threat and turned to Vio, trying to determine if his act of kindness had impressed him. A reaction like that was the only reason he had offered. However, if Vio thought anything at all it was hidden under that irritating deadpan mask. Sometimes he just wished he would show some affection, or any positive emotion at all really.

"Well, let's get started shall we?" Vio turned and went to collect his things.

* * *

"Finally, we're here. I'm so tired I don't even want to look around." Green watched as the village gate drew nearer through half-lidded eyes. They had set out not long after packing up camp, and the sun was already setting by the time they reached the next town. Luckily they had enough rupees between the four of them (Shadow was pretty broke) to rent rooms at an inn for a few nights. Then after that it would be a short road to Castletown. Simply stating that the five links were excited about this was an understatement.

"Let's just find somewhere to sleep please." Red murmured. He looked the worst out of the five weary travelers. The group had reasons to believe that he was falling ill, most likely a result of their stressful journey and the long cold nights he insisted staying up on watch. And although Blue would never admit it to anyone, he was quite worried and it was startling to see Red anything but hyper and cheery.

"Took the words right out of my mouth little man." Shadow ruffled Red's hair, getting a protective growl from Blue.

"You guys can rest here, I'll find us a place to stay and then come back." Vio offered. It was the least he could do in his opinion. He was barely tired and the others were pretty much collapsing on the spot.

"No we can-" Green began.

"Stay here and rest for a bit." Vio interrupted as he started for the gate. It would only make sense to have an inn close to the gate right? Or near the market so that visitors could have easy access to goods. So he figured he would search in those areas.

Meanwhile.

"I don't feel good Blue." Red sniffled pitifully as he looked up at Blue with those big eyes. Blue's heart melt a bit, a feeling he didn't quite understand.

"Stop being such a big baby and get over it." He hissed in response. That made Red cry. But then again everything made him cry. But this time was different, because instead of running away to Green or Vio, Red buried his face in Blue's tunic and sobbed. He hated that. It was terrible and for once he actually felt… guilty. "Agh… I'm… sorry…" Blue mumbled and patted his head awkwardly.

"Really?" Red lifted his head, the tears seeming to disappear magically from his eyes and face. "You're not so mean after all!" Red threw his arms around Blue's neck and forced him into a long hug. Despite feeling quite uncomfortable, Blue didn't pry him off or do anything to stop him. He just didn't feel like it.

Spying a _golden_ opportunity to mess with Blue, Shadow snuck up on the pair and playfully yelped, "NOW KISS!" Both of them blushed and quickly separated, much to Shadow's amusement. "If you can tease me and my baby then can I tease you and yours Blue?"

"Shut up asshole. I've never chased Red like a lovesick puppy like you do. Not that I'd _want _to." The emphasis he put on that one word made Red frown, and everyone but Blue noticed.

"You're such a romantic Blue." Shadow clasped his hands together and batted his eyelashes.

"Please, you're not one to talk. Vio doesn't even like you, you creep him out."

"Ladies, ladies please you're both pretty." Green laughed. "Let's not turn this into a serious argument okay? We're all just tired and it's making us irritable. Well, Blue at least. And the last thing we need is an even more grumpy Blue."

"Yeah you're right Green. Calm down you too." Red murmured before coughing into his hand.

Before any more arguing could ensue, Vio jogged back over to them. "I found an inn. It looks sort of run down but it was the cheapest."

"Well done Mr. Penny Pincher." Green smiled. "Let's get going then." The group slowly made their way into town with Vio in the lead. The inn did look old, but any place with an actually bed was more than the group could have asked for. Upon reaching the desk, they figured out their room plans and split the rupees evenly. Then without hesitation, made their way up the stairs to their own rooms and settled in for the night.

Vio curled up beneath the stiff sheets, resting his head on the pillow. Having a pillow was nice. It all felt nice really. The roof over his head, and the privacy of the separate room. It felt like it had been so long since he had been able to be alone. He didn't have to listen to Blue snore, or Green sleep talk. For at least one night he wouldn't have to be woken up by a frightened Red. But the one member he had forgotten was Shadow. And Shadow was wide awake and bored out of his mind.

"Ohey Vio." Shadow materialized next to his bed with a wide smile. Vio groaned and covered his face with the pillow, turning in the other direction.

"What do you want Shadow?" His voice was muffled beneath the pillow.

"I just wanted to talk if that's okay with you." He sat on the edge of the bed, swinging his legs where they hung over the edge. "So talk to me." Shadow took one hand and tickled Vio's foot, causing him to bite back a laugh as he moved his leg.

"You're so high maintenance." Vio sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Fine, we can talk for a while. Did you have a certain topic in mind?"

"Yeah." Shadow replied sheepishly. It wasn't the response Vio was expecting but he could roll with that. "It doesn't seem like the others like me so much," he pouted. "And I don't know what to do to make them."

"Well you could try being less of a…" Vio paused as he searched for a better word than the one that was about to come out of his mouth. "A tease I guess?" It was the nicest thing he could think to say. "Especially around Blue. Your personalities don't mix well." He suggested. Although, he was wondering why he was even having this conversation in the first place. He hated when Shadow got all sensitive like that it felt unnatural.

"I don't want to change my ways bro, I just want to make them like me." Shadow huffed. "And you like my personality right?" The corners of his mouth twitched up in an almost-smile.

"I guess so. But it's difficult to imagine you with any other personality, so I don't have much to go on." Vio paused, then yawned. "Just don't be a smartass around them and they'll come to love you over time. Probably. I think." Vio shrugged, realizing he was becoming to tired to have control of what he was saying.

"Yeah, but for now I think you're the only one I trust Vio." Shadow watched as his friend rested his head back on the pillow.

"Good night Shadow."

"Night Vio."

Vio felt Shadow climb into bed with him and cuddle against his arm.

"Why did we even buy you a room if you were going to take mine?"

"Shut up Mr. Penny Pincher."


	3. Chapter 3

**Woah I finally got off my fat butt and wrote something. And it happened to be a long... long... piece of crap. But hey, I didn't finish it at 1:00 AM which is surprising. You don't know who I am until you know that everything I ever accomplish has been done in the wee hours of the morning. But hey, I was motivated by one person in particular who seems to actually read these. Kai Stark. You seem like quite the gentlelady, and I am grateful that you have stuck with both chapters of this so far. *slow clap***

* * *

Vio opened his eyes and shifted slightly. His cheeks flushed when he realized that somehow during the night, he had wound up in Shadow's arms, and was cuddling against his chest. The other boy most likely did not know he was awake, and was gently twirling a strand of his golden hair around his finger. Vio smiled slightly.

"You really love to mess with my hair don't you?" He murmured. He recalled all the times Shadow had been caught doing this. One being just yesterday.

"I didn't realize you were awake." Shadow grinned. "Comfortable?"

"No. And I would appreciate it if you would move." He would never admit how much he really did enjoy it.

"Oh you're no fun~" Shadow chuckled and tugged at Vio's ear, earning a quiet hiss. "Let's just lay here for a while." He pulled him closer to his chest with a cat-like purr and tightly wrapped his arms around Vio's shoulders. The latter scowled and pushed him away.

"Stop. The others will be getting up soon anyway, and we will have to start looking for supplies soon so we can head home." Vio sat up and stretched his arms above his head. He realized that he sounded completely ignorant but he liked it when Shadow would just about beg for his attention. Blue had Red and Green had Zelda. For a while there he thought he might be the… 1, 2, 3, 4… the 5th wheel. Not that he was admitting that he liked Shadow. Of course not! What a preposterous idea! Or… something.

Shadow frowned. "Well, I have to stay here. I can't be outside in the daytime remember? Unless you want me to fade away and return to the dark world that is. I only get one more shot here." He held up one finger to emphasize what he meant.

"Use an umbrella." Vio shrugged. "You'll be fine as long as you're not in direct sunlight, right?"

"Huh?!" Shadow made a face. "One does not simply carry an umbrella around when it is not raining, Vio. Don't be ridiculous." He scoffed and rolled his eyes at his friend's suggestion.

"Fine then. Stay here all by yourself for what might be hours. Oh, and just hope that we won't forget about you and leave before coming back." Vio smirked.

"Ugh, fiiiiiiine." Shadow crossed his arms and pouted. "You wouldn't really leave me though. I know you wouldn't."

"Keep telling yourself that." Vio patted Shadow's arm and crawled over him to get out of bed.

* * *

"I feel stupid." Shadow walked through the market with his shoulders hunched and an umbrella shielding him from the sun. "I hate you all."

"Don't worry Shadow! You look fine!" Red gave him a reassuring hug, which made Blue scowl. Shadow smiled at that. Any time Red gave anyone attention other than him he would frown or growl or anything along those lines. He wished Vio was a bit like that. Not that he would change his beloved Link if he could. Sometimes he just wished he would be a little more affectionate and less cold.

As he saw something he liked Red released Shadow and darted in that direction, dragging Vio by his sleeve. Green laughed and followed their lead as well, leaving Blue and Shadow to window shop since Vio held all of their combined rupees. There were many moments of silence between the pair. Neither of them knew quite what to say after all. Shadow was just about to open his mouth and say something before Blue spoke up.

"I know you've got the others wrapped around your finger but I still don't trust you." He was completely serious, neither frowning nor smiling. "Not completely anyway. I don't believe that people change Shadow. To me, you will always be the one who almost took away the life of my friends. No matter how far you think you've wormed your way into our group, you will never be as far as you think." Blue stared at the ground, but the venom he spat was directed at Shadow. The other boy felt cold. Colder than usual. He knew that out of all four, Blue would most likely be the one to nurture his spite.

"Honestly I don't care what you think Blue. I happen to believe that people CAN change, but you will always insist on being bitter." Shadow replied. He gripped the handle of his umbrella tighter, the pale skin over his knuckles becoming even whiter. Blue was the one person he had to get stuck with.

"Well-"

Blue was interrupted as Red barreled into him from behind, almost knocking him over in the process. "Blue! Look!" He held out an object to his friend, holding it so close to his face that Blue would have no chance determining what it was.

"Knock it off, brat." He snatched whatever it was out of Red's hand.

That, however, was the moment Shadow tuned those two out and turned to Red and Green. "So… are we almost done here?" He pointed to the sky and hinted that he wanted to get out of the sun. He was nervous, even in the shade of the umbrella. And even with that he had to check the position of the sun in the sky so he could adjust where he pointed the dang thing.

"We have just about everything we could need for the journey back home." Green checked his 'shopping list'. "I just need to grab one more thing, and it will only take a second okay? You four can head back to the inn if you want. Don't pack up yet though, I think we will be leaving tomorrow. We deserve a little rest wouldn't you say?" Green chuckled and tucked his list into one of his pockets. Without giving anyone the chance to reply, he started off through the market again and left the group to wander back to the inn.

"I can't wait to be back home." Vio smiled. "The library back there is huge."

"The library? Pfft, what a lame way to spend your day. When we get back you'll have to show me around. I haven't seen much of it other than… destroying it… from the back of a dragon…" Shadow stroked his chin as he thought about that last part.

"Oh yeah… you might want to be careful. The citizens won't like you very much. And they have every right not to." Vio muttered. "After what you did."

That stung a bit. It seemed the whole day had been about making Shadow relive the mistakes he wished he had never made. But he knew after a while, they would forgive him. Hopefully. Maybe not Blue, but that was alright. He didn't care much for the other boy.

"Oh come on, you two are to serious! It will be so much fun to be able to go home and see everyone! Green will be able to see the princess, and we can talk to Dad again too." Red, who had been eavesdropping on the whole conversation, butted in. "You look forward to that, don't you Vio?" He tilted his head in an incredibly endearing way.

"Of course. I miss Dad just as much as you any of you do." Vio crossed his arms. "But the library…"

* * *

Vio woke up to find the space in the bed next to him empty. He could have sworn that Shadow had been there. But then again maybe he was dreaming. He had been having those kinds of dreams lately. The purple link got up out of bed and stretched, letting out a quiet sigh as he started the waking-up process. He figured he would go and see what the others were up to. However he began to wonder as he heard profanity being screamed between two familiar voices downstairs: Blue and Shadow. He waddled over to the door and pushed it open. What was going on? At the top of the stairs he met up with Red, who of course was bawling like a newborn. But at that moment Red did not seem out of place. Down on the main floor, Shadow and Blue were engaging in what appeared to be a vicious fight. Both of them had been screeching harsh words, but Vio suspected that was as far as the fight would go. Although he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, Shadow was smart enough to know not to pick a fight with Blue especially when he was as weak as he was. With the mirror shattered he was clinging to any scrap of dark energy that he could to simply stay in that form and if a fight with Blue became serious, he could end up being seriously hurt so easily that Blue wouldn't even know what was happening until it was over with. However Blue did not have simply hurting Shadow in mind. As Vio turned to comfort Red, there was an angry shriek and the sound of a door slamming. When he looked up, neither of the boys were in the building. And if the pink light peeking through the window wasn't alarming enough, it was the yelling coming from outside that made Vio drop everything that he was doing to come to Shadow's aid. Throwing open the door, Vio barely had time to watch as Blue struggled with fistfuls of purple hair before there was a loud sob and Shadow was gone.

* * *

**Dun dun** **_DUUUUUN_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so Doc Manager completely butchered the old file so if you happened to read that one I apologize. This is the correct chapter.**

* * *

"What did you do?" Vio murmured. He sat on his knees in the spot where Shadow had just been. He felt crushed and guilty.

"He was a dick I gave him what he deserved." Vio could tell that Blue was attempting to sound angry, but… there was an almost unnoticeable hint of a different guilt in his voice.

Red came running out after them, sobbing uncontrollably. He clung to Blue and he did not even attempt to shake him off. The three of them just sat for a while, listening to Red's cries. All of them new what Blue had done, not just to Shadow, but Vio as well.

Soon enough Green had joined the scene as well. "What happened?" No one stepped up to fill him in, and all eyes were on Vio. They were all surprised when he got up and dusted off his legs, then turned and headed back for the inn without so much as a second glance to the place where Shadow might have died.

"Vio?" Red sniffled.

"What?" He paused in the doorway, turning only to look at the one who had called his name.

"What about-"

"He was a lost cause anyway. Besides, it would have happened sooner or later. The amount of dark magic in Hyrule is dwindling, and I would much rather have seen it happen than wake up one morning and not know what had become of him." Vio smiled softly. He didn't mean it exactly, he wanted Shadow to be there, but he wouldn't let himself get to worked up over it. Instead he swept into the inn and looked up at a red-faced innkeeper.

"Get your things and go."

Vio obliged.

* * *

The four of them chatted as they walked like they normally would. Vio had made it quite clear that he did not want the previous 'accident' to affect them in any way. However… when asked Blue refused to explain what the whole argument was about and instead told them it had just started out as a discussion on a highly personal subject for both of them. That was as much detail as he was willing to give up, even when Red was the one asking. The worst part was that he tried not to act like he felt guilty, even though he knew that he gone to far.

Blue decided to take his mind off of the 'accident', and instead focused on whatever Red was chattering to him about.

"A-and I know you probably don't feel that way but…" Red was blushing and messing nervously with his hands. Blue had a feeling he should have been listening.

"Wait what?" Blue asked.

"Oh, uh…" Red's voice was quiet. He really did not want the others to hear. "I-I said that I… like you… Blue." He looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "I-I like you a lot. That way."

Blue's face instantly erupted into several shades of pink and he had to look away for a minute. He was not sure why Red's words had triggered such a reaction in himself, and for a while all he could feel was the rapid beating of his heart. _No no no this won't do! Stop acting like that Blue you're not a little girl! _He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I uh…" He didn't want to royally screw up twice that day, so for once, he took the time to think about what to say. Well… what was there to say? "Where did that come from anyway? You don't just randomly decide to confess your love for someone," Blue stalled.

"N-No I've liked you for a while. And I can tell that Vio is sad about Shadow so… it made me want to tell you because… even if you don't feel the same you'll at least know. If something happens to me or you, I'd rather die knowing that you _knew_," Red explained shyly.

Blue paused for a moment. "Okay," he murmured.

Red lit up at that, and threw his arms around Blue happily. "So you don't mind?!" He pressed a kiss to Blue's cheek who in turn, went from pink to crimson. That wasn't at all what he had been expecting from saying a single word.

"H-Hey! Get off!" Blue wiggled in Red's grasp as he tried desperately to escape the lovestruck boy. Red only held on tighter, forcing them both to the ground.

Green and Vio watched from up ahead, waiting impatiently for the two to catch up. "Come on, we're almost home!" Green called. At that, the two wrestling boys shot up and went to meet their comrades at the top of a slope. Castletown was much more than a mere dot in the rolling hills. They were quite close, and from that distance they could make out the shapes of buildings. The four of them stared longingly at the tall structures. They could almost hear the sounds of music and feel the joy in the market. All they wanted was to be _home_. To relax and put their journey behind them. Without any hesitation they set off again, barely noticing the ache in their feet or their tired limbs. The road home felt shorter when they were motivated, and they were all buzzing with excitement as they walked over the lowered drawbridge. Several people smiled at them, others stared in awe, but they all seemed grateful. The heroes had to give their apologies to many who tried to speak to them, explaining that they had to get to the castle quickly and meet the princess.

"You guys!" Erune leaped into Blue's arms, wrapping her own loosely around his neck and giving him a quick peck to the lips. "How are you?" She asked as he set her down awkwardly. Red took that opportunity to attach himself to Blue's arm and eye his former crush suspiciously.

"Erune! How did you get here?" Green asked with a wide smile. He was pretty sure she did _not _live in Castletown.

"When I heard that you four had saved the princess, and were coming back here, I just had to meet up with you!" She clasped her hands together. "You four are just as handsome as ever!" Much to Red's frustration, Blue blushed at that.

"Are you staying?" Vio asked calmly.

"I think I might be." Erune smiled and looked shyly at the ground. All four of the boys thought that was adorable. "But you should get to the castle! Princess Zelda is waiting for you!" She waved and skipped back through the marketplace where two adults were waiting for her. The four boys continued on to the castle without her.

* * *

Vio sat in front of one of the castle windows, letting the moon cast a faint shadow in front of him. The shadow on the floor waved happily at his friend. Vio smiled. "Evening." He knew that his friend couldn't respond from his prison on the tile so he kept talking. "We met up with Erune today. Remember her? The cute girl from whatever town." Vio made himself comfortable. "She kissed Blue and Red got jealous." He snickered quietly. "I don't think you were there for that were you?" It shook its head. "I didn't think so." Vio yawned. "You know, I already miss your stupid face Shadow," he huffed. "Why did you have to go and get Blue angry?" The shadow rubbed the back of its neck and appeared to laugh at that before shrugging. The two of them sat quietly for a while as Vio pressed his hand to the cold tile, as if trying to touch him. The shadow slouched sadly. The moment was cut short when the purple link got to his feet. "I'm going to sleep Shadow. Good night." His shadow slowly began to mimic his own movements as his friend left, leaving Vio feeling as lonely as ever.

He was about to push open the door to his temporary quarters (still sharing with his friendsforconvenience) when he heard quiet whispers and gentle snoring from inside. He opened the door just enough to peek in. Green was sleeping peacefully in the bed he was supposed to be sharing with Vio, and Blue and Red were having a hushed conversation from theirs. The two were sitting up on their knees with Red gently holding Blue's hand. His cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as he pressed an innocent kiss to Blue's lips, who smiled slightly at the gesture. Deciding not to bother them, Vio set out in search of another place to sleep.

"I love you Blue." Red murmured as he kissed him. The two had not noticed their friend at the door, and instead continued to chat privately.

Blue couldn't bring himself to say it back. Instead he just smiled and playfully ruffled Red's hair.

"What do you think we're going to do now that we're here? We can't stay in the castle forever can we?" Red changed the subject when he sensed that Blue wasn't going to respond to his previous statement. The other boy thought for a moment about the question. He really did not know the answer. Before they had decided to stay as they were he was to scared to think of a life of his own, just because he might have had that taken away by reforming. And he was to busy being pissed at Shadow all of those other times to really think about it in depth. So it was a mystery to him.

"I guess we just… start our own lives. Like normal people." He shrugged.

"Being normal's no fun." Red crossed his arms. "I don't want to be like everybody else."

"Well you don't have to worry about that. You're pretty weird-ow!" Blue flinched as Red pinched his arm.

"And you're a wuss!" Red pouted. He face planted into the bed and rolled to face away from Blue.

"Come on weirdo, stop acting up." Blue huffed. Red didn't respond. For a while he thought that Red was ignoring him, but after listening to the steady sound of his breathing Blue realized that he had fallen asleep. He smiled and pushed hair out of Red's face. Blue did not see himself as a romantic in any universe, and yet he could not help but notice the small yet adorable features of Red's face that he liked. The thin, feminine eyebrows and thick eyelashes. Surely he could be mistaken for a girl in the right attire. The thought made Blue laugh a bit, and his partner stirred. He put a hand over his mouth to stop laughing and went back to inspecting his features. Maybe… just maybe he liked Red a bit more than he was allowing himself to believe.


	5. Chapter 5

**SO YEAH. I feel like this is really late, but please understand that it feels like my life is crumbling through my fingers right now and I haven't felt like writing much. But please know that every review that has been posted is read over many times, and even if no one means what they say, it makes me feel really good to receive them. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see that someone has left a review. It really lifts my spirits. But anyway, we aren't here to throw pity party for me. We're here to post and read fanfiction. So sorry this is late. And short. Oops. Just stick with my slow place please.**

* * *

The four boys stayed in the castle for several more days as they bickered about what their plans were. The final decision was made by their father who had gotten quite impatient. He allowed the four of them to get their own home at the edges of Castletown. However Vio had gotten several lectures on how to run a household since he was the most rational and trusted one. Even after all of that they had agreed to let him check up every once and a while. None of them could complain though, they were just glad that he cared. Well no one complained except for Blue, who reminded their father that they had survived a life-threatening journey and that they were fully capable of running their own household.

Somewhere in their fourth week of staying at the castle, the boys were ready to move into their new abode. The castle staff could not have been happier about this. They were either irritated with Blue's constant screeching or creeped out by Vio who would often stay up quite late talking to himself. So when they gathered their things and left for the far reaches of Castletown, even the Princess herself was relieved.

* * *

"Well this is going to be interesting." Green watched as Red bounced from one place to another, exploring every nook and cranny of their new home. It was empty at the time. Just a shell without decoration or furnishing. But they figured that they would have plenty of time to save up and buy some stuff. It wasn't huge, but it was not small either. The home had two floors and a basement, the top floor being nothing but bedrooms and bathrooms. The living room and kitchen were downstairs where the four boys stood. They didn't bother arguing about what to do with the basement, they figured it would just be extra space.

"Can I get the room all the way in the back?" Red asked as he peered upstairs.

"We should-" Green started before Blue interrupted.

"FINDERS KEEPERS." He shot up the stairs with the remaining boys fighting to catch up. They wanted to get good rooms too.

After that situation had been cleared up, they settled down in the kitchen floor while Red prepared a delicious and nutritious meal of cheap ramen noodles. For a while all of them were quiet. Then there was a few quick knocks at the door, which Vio moved over to answer. On the other side was Erune, looking as sweet and gentle as ever. Vio invited her inside.

"Wow, you really haven't been here long have you? Your house is so empty! I don't blame you though. With all the attention you four have been getting I would want to stay in the castle and away from your crazy fangirls too," she giggled cutely. The boys flushed.

"It wasn't that, Erune." Red laughed quietly. "We haven't had much trouble with people, other than a pat on the back every once and a while. Ooh! Once, this lady paid for our meal when we went out to eat. It was very nice of her!" He beamed at the memory. It felt nice to know that even though they had not asked for fame… people seemed to really like them. More than they already did of course. The four had to remind themselves that at one point they were Link, and Link had been popular. Not famous, but popular.

"So what have you been up to? We haven't seen you since our first day back." Green asked as he finished a spoonful of ramen.

"Oh, I've been adjusting to this new town. I've gone shopping. I actually bought this dress yesterday!" She said excitedly. "But you four don't care about clothes, do you? Hey, we should go do something together sometime. All four of us. You guys can pick where to go."

"Well… there is a ball next week. Princess Zelda says it's being thrown in our honor, but we all think it's an excuse for her to have one." Green smiled. "The whole town is invited. You should come! I'm sure there would be plenty of dashing young men waiting to dance with you."

"By dashing young men, you mean pubescent boys." Vio cut in.

"Yeah… whatever. The point is, it will probably be more fun for you than it will for us. And we would like to see you there." Green continued.

"Oh that sounds lovely!" Erune clasped her hands together. "I will make sure to be there." "So why did you stop by?" Blue asked with a mouthful of food. "I wanted to see how you were doing. I came to Castletown just for you, after all!" Erune beamed.

"Well you can stay as long as you'd like." Vio responded with a kind smile. Erune stayed with them for a few more hours, even accepting her own bowl of ramen. The sky was already beginning to go dark by the time she left, and the boys felt oddly exhausted. Most of them had scuttled to their bedrooms, the only furnished rooms in the home, while Vio had other plans.

He sat in front of his window yet again, and waited for Shadow. He stared quietly at his own shadow, watching for some sign that his friend was there. Soon enough, he caught a glimpse of movement that was not his own, and a faint smile graced his lips. "Hey." The shadow waved timidly. He had been doing that often. "How are things in the dark world?" Vio asked. Shadow shrugged. "You're the greatest conversationalist." The darkness seemed to laugh at that. "Well, we're all settled into our new house. There were only three rooms so Blue and Red shared. Of course they would. They're… a full-on couple or something. I mean I've seen Red try to make out with Blue in public before it was not a pretty sight." Vio was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "Sorry Shadow I… can't talk long tonight. I'm really tired." His friend nodded, and Vio got up from where he sat.

His expression remained the same as he crawled into bed and burrowed beneath the covers but… after getting comfortable he completely lost it. The first few sobs were loud so he pushed his face into the pillow to muffle them. He couldn't have anyone else in the house hearing him cry. He almost felt… ashamed as the tears spilled endlessly from his eyes. For the first time he felt empty and hopeless. He wanted Shadow back. He wanted him back so badly that it hurt. At that time all he could think about was how much he should have cherished what he had while it was there. Instead he had been an ass to Shadow and seemingly rejected him. He was confused. Vio wanted to believe that he could get back but… he knew that would never happen. It was impossible. The mirror had been the only way to travel between worlds and… it was gone. Shadow was with it. Thinking back, Vio realized how fragile Shadow's life really was and how miserable he must have been on that side of the mirror. That only made him cry more. And he cried and he cried. He cried until there were no more tears to cry. And then he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, please read this.**

**I was originally planning on adding a few more parts however I am at this moment deciding whether or not to continue. Even if I do decide to finish it up for real, there would only be one or two more parts after this one. Honestly, I'm surprised I've managed to make it this far. Usually I drop stories after the second or third chapter. So this has been very fun to write, especially when Shadow was still with them. He is so fun to do.**

**And also, I apologize for my constant lateness. Between doing... important family things, school, and trying desperately to catch up in Homestuck I have neglected all of my current stories. This one included.**

* * *

The next morning had been very awkward for everyone. No one wanted to talk about the fact that they had all heard him crying the night before, and none of the other boys felt quite like asking why. It was just shocking, really. It was so unlike him to ever show real emotion, and something as intense as bawling his eyes out was unheard of. It shook the other three quite a bit, especially because they had no real idea why. It was an uncomfortable situation for the boys, and they just wanted to forget about it.

They sat in their spots on the floor, enjoying small bowls of oatmeal that didn't settle quite right their stomachs. No one spoke. Not for a very long time. It wasn't until the boys were finishing up their breakfast that Red decided to break the silence. "Do you think we could go get ice cream today?"

There was a pregnant pause from the other three boys.

"I don't see why not. We have more rupees than we know what to do with at this point," Vio said with a one-pixel-up smile. The others liked that.

Without hesitation, the boys tossed away their bowls and set out for the closest ice cream vendor. They practically fed off of seeing Vio in a good mood, and they were enjoying every second of it. They watched as he plucked a handful of rupees from the pouch tied to his belt, giving the nice man behind the counter a pretty nice tip as well as paying for Red's ice cream cone. The group scuttled over to the center of the market where several tables had been set up around a grand fountain. Of course they had been put up for some event, but the boys did not think anyone would mind if they used one and picking was easy when you considered how early in the morning they had decided to leave their home. It was all quiet for a while. Vio watched uncomfortably as the rest of the group, except for Red who was lapping happily at his newly acquired treat, rested their gaze directly on him.

"You have been acting strangely today. Is something wrong?" Vio asked with a furrowed brow.

"Not at all-"

"Well last night you were crying your eyes out and you expect us to totally forget that ever happened? I don't think so," Green rubbed his temples as Blue cut him off, his loud voice carrying over the eerily quiet town square. Vio flinched.

"I don't know what you three think I am, but I am no different than any of you and in fact we are only parts of the same. Meaning at one point I was you. Just because I act different now does not mean that I am devoid of any and all emotion. I will cry if I need to cry, and I do believe that you are blowing it way out of proportion." It felt like a scolding. Blue, Green, and even Red, shrunk down in their seats. Okay so maybe he was right? They all felt a little ashamed. "Now I suggest that we continue on with our day without any more complications, alright?" Everyone nodded sheepishly. "Now finish your ice cream so we can go meet up with the princess to prepare for the ball."

"Agh! I have to go! I was supposed be there early to see Zelda! I will catch up with you guys later." Green leapt up from his seat and rushed through the tables before anyone at the table could ask why, or stop him. But that all had a pretty good idea of why he was leaving. He was most like their original form, and everyone in Castletown knew that Link had had a crush on the princess, that might have been returned too. It was the classic princess falls in love with knight story, but they were all happy for Green anyway. Whether it was cliche or not. Blue smirked and crossed his arms. It seemed that everyone was suddenly finding their soul mates or something cheesy like that. It was kind of… nice actually. To see everyone he was close to happy. He would never admit that though. He was to tough for girly things like that. And so, he settled with just thinking about it. By the time that Red had finished… he had settled with the conclusion that his life was going to be a long and happy one. A rare, genuine grin graced his lips as he fell behind the group on their way out of the market. For once, he could not feel angry.


End file.
